Shotaro Hidari
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Ayumu Murase (child)
| Shotaro Hidari | |
|---|---|
| Kamen Rider W character | |
 Shotaro as portrayed by Renn Kiriyama | |
| First appearance | "The W Search/Two Halves of One Detective" (September 6, 2009) |
| Created by | Riku Sanjo |
| Portrayed by | Renn Kiriyama |
| Voiced by | Yoshimasa Hosoya (adult) Ayumu Murase (child) |
Shotaro Hidari (Japanese: 左 翔太郎, Hepburn: Hidari Shōtarō) is one of the main characters in the live-action tokusatsu series Kamen Rider W. He is a detective who works with the young Philip, who possesses items called Gaia Memories, to investigate crimes caused by monstrous Dopants in the city of Fuuto. With their Gaia Memories, Shotaro and Philip can transform and combine into the superhero Kamen Rider W (仮面ライダーW, Kamen Raidā Daburu) to fight Dopants. In the sequel series Fuuto PI, Shotaro gains an assistant, Tokime, an amnesiac woman with a mysterious past connected to their enemies.
Shotaro and Philip are the first Kamen Rider composed of two members, and Shotaro's personality and job were inspired by the production team's desire to tell a hard-boiled story. Renn Kiriyama portrayed him in the live-action series, while Yoshimasa Hosoya voiced him for Riku Sanjo's anime sequel Fuuto PI and several video games. Ayumu Murase voiced a young Shotaro in Fuuto PI.
Critical response to Shotaro's character has been generally positive, with critics praising his ability to balance a serious side with lighthearted traits in his role as Kamen Rider W. His relationship with Philip has also been well-received, with reviewers enjoying their dynamic, while his portrayal in Fuuto PI was commended for expanding his backstory and relationships.
Shotaro's character first appeared in Kamen Rider W, the first show in the Kamen Rider franchise to feature two Kamen Riders as one. Shotaro's partner, Philip, was not intended to be included; the idea was for the protagonist, who would eventually become Shotaro, to be supported by Shōkichi Narumi. However, Toei producer Hideaki Tsukada was inspired by the partner characters who often appeared in detective stories to include a "two-in-one" concept.[1]
Shotaro's creation came from the producers' desire to create a "hard-boiled" story.[2] With the exception of scenes at the Sonozaki household, the story is largely told in the first person from Shotaro's perspective.[3] His portrayal was influenced by other detective stories, particularly Shunsaku Kodo from Toei's TV drama Tantei Monogatari. Similar elements between the two works include the protagonist's style and personality, the pairing of a stiff veteran and a rebellious young detective, and even aspects of the setting, like Shotaro's desk.[2][4] Furthermore, the staff wanted Shotaro and Philip's story to be comedic like Kamen Rider Den-O.[5]
Portrayals
Shotaro Hidari was portrayed in the original live-action series by Renn Kiriyama.[6] Kiriyama had watched Kamen Rider Black since he was a child, and the show had inspired him to become an actor. When auditioning for Kamen Rider W, Kiriyama was asked to do the transformation line for Kamen Rider W at the same time as Philip's actor, Masaki Suda, which initially made him believe Kamen Rider W would be a series with two different Kamen Riders. Throughout the series, he found transformation sequences particularly difficult. He noted his appreciation of how he could still portray Kamen Rider Joker, but was eventually glad to become Kamen Rider W as the narrative moved forward. He was a fan of episode 48 for its emotional impact, such as a scene in which his character fused with Philip for the last time and faced the reality of losing his partner. He needed multiple takes to portray his character crying.[7]
Director Ryuta Tasaki recalled that after a rigorous audition process, Kiriyama and Suda were chosen for the lead roles, and they went to a dinner party to introduce themselves. However, the characters of Shotaro and Philip still had to be developed, and Tasaki told them if they failed, the Kamen Rider series would be over. From then on, their attitudes changed, and they both showed more enthusiasm in their acting. Tasaki felt that the two actors continuously improved from the very first episode.[8] Producer Tsukada told Kiriyama that Shotaro was similar to Hanamichi Sakuragi, the protagonist of the basketball manga Slam Dunk. Upon reading the scripts, Kiriyama understood what Tsukada meant: Shotaro is both a serious protagonist as well as a buffoon who makes mistakes. Kiriyama stated that many of Shotaro's funny moments come from interacting with his superior Akiko Narumi, and practicing with Narumi's actress helped Kiriyama improve his performance in those comedic scenes. He also remarked that Shotaro's detective outfit was particularly unusual.[9]
Sequel
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For the manga sequel Fuuto PI, Shotaro and Philip were not permitted to resemble caricatures of their live-action actors due to the publisher's stipulations, which required the producers to create unique character designs.[10] Furthermore, in Kamen Rider W, Philip had served as the narrative's central focus, but in Fuuto PI, Shotaro took on that role. To balance this shift, Sanjo introduced Tokime as Shotaro's new partner. While her dynamic with Shotaro mirrored his original relationship with Philip, Sanjo aimed to develop Tokime into a more human character over time.[11]
The serialization of Fuuto PI led to an extended run and a deeper exploration of the "Begins Night" arc, which delved into Shotaro's origins, particularly his childhood.[11] Director Yosuke Kabashima praised Yoshimasa Hosoya and Koki Uchiyama for their performances as Shotaro and Philip.[12] Hosoya, who reprised his role as Shotaro, expressed particular satisfaction in delivering his transformation line.[13]
For the production of the movie Fuuto PI: The Portrait of Kamen Rider Skull, the director tried to portray Shōkichi Narumi, Shotaro's mentor, as a man that everyone would look up to. Shotaro cries in three scenes, including one where Narumi dies, which Kabashima felt were crucial to put effort into animating for the sake of appealing emotionally to the audience. In particular, the final scene where Shotaro falls asleep next to Tokime was intended to be deeply moving. He spoke to the animator, Ebinama, and asked him to create a unique visual effect of a film of tears for these scenes. Since it was the first time that the scenes from the original manga were being voiced, Kabashima wanted them to be especially well-done.[14]
Yoshimasa Hosoya and Kōki Uchiyama, who voiced Shotaro and Philip respectively, welcomed the announcement of the theatrical anime adaptation. Hosoya found his part relatively straightforward, as the source material was a live-action drama with lines largely consisting of explanatory dialogue and monologues. He described Shotaro as a "classic anime protagonist" and expressed that tone with an over-the-top delivery style, particularly in comparison to the stoic Philip. Reflecting on his previous performances as Shotaro, he noted that his character's image had already been firmly established when he was first cast in the role.[15] Ayuma Murase, who voiced a young Shotaro, noted his enjoyment of his dynamic with Kenjiro Tsuda's character, Narumi.[16] For the fight with the Ocean Dopant, the studio initially intended to use the theme song "W-G-X (W Goes Next)" from the web anime, but changed it to "W-B-X (W-Boiled Extreme)" by Aya Kamiki and TAKUYA, the theme song from the original Kamen Rider W series, to better suit Shotaro and Philip's first battle.[17]